Kirin
by Tempesta Black
Summary: Kirin, a disciple of Fon enrolled into Namimori upon Reborn's request. He often remarked that he's a guy with no past and no future. If he dies, no one will remember him. But when he meets the brunet, will he, perhaps, find something that will keep him? Keep him and tie him down onto earth?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Well... Er...

Plot bunnies just hit me in and I've decided to type it out before it drives me crazy in the middle of my exams.

(Yes, I'm having exams now. Damnit.)

* * *

His first impression of the brunet.

_Pretty. Naïve. But strong._

Yup.

You heard him alright.

That was the impression Kirin or in Chinese, Qi Lin (麒麟) had when he first saw the brunet.

_Sawada Tsunayoshi, was it?_

He mulled long and hard on the brunet's nickname in class, not understanding why names like 'Dame-Tsuna' was thrown at Tsuna and why he accepted all those with a sheepish smile.

Didn't he feel angry? Resentment? Hatred?

Why couldn't the others see it too? That hidden strength of his. Surely someone would have spotted it?

(_Supercilious Humans_)

"Yo, want to eat lunch with us, Kirin?"

The male blinked his eyes, inclined his head in slight confusion before letting his gaze glide to the brunet who was behind the raven teen.

"Eh?"

"A-Ah, it's alright if you don't want too."

"Yeah! You don't deserve to be eating lunch with Jyuudaimei!"

Kirin gave a placid smile. "I would love to join you… Just that you see, I didn't bring lunch and break would probably be over by the time I manage to buy any food from the canteen."

He let a sheepish grin take over his lips when the brunet shot him a troubled look.

"So you don't have food?"

Ï guess you can put it that way. But I'm sure I'll enjoy the presence of you three during the break."

Kirin's eyes crinkled with the smile he shot the three which was reciprocated by the raven teen-_Yamamoto_ _Takeshi, was it? _- and Tsuna while the guy with silver hair (_Gokudera, _his brain supplied quickly) shot him a scowl before a bright grin lit up his face when Tsuna announced that it was time to go to the roof.

He got up slowly, stretching his body in the process. Smoothing over the crease of his trousers, Kirin straightened up and shot them a small smile.

He sauntered behind the three as they ventured towards the roof, tuning out their daily conversation and observed his surrounding languidly.

"-san, Kirin-san?"

His thoughts flickered out as his gaze landed on the petite brunet.

"Yes?"

"TEME! HOW DARE YOU IGNORE JYUUDAIMEI!"

Raising his hands up to his chest level in the universal surrender language, he backed slightly and slide on his 10th mask.

The mask of amusement, surprise and slight apology.

_This guy is pretty easy to rile up._

"Sorry. I got slightly distracted. What were you saying?"

"A-Ah. We've reached the roof."

"Ahahaha, you're pretty funny!"

His footstep slowed down to a stop with the door behind and he couldn't help but stare at the three as they strolled to their usual spot on the roof, the wind ruffling the brunet's hair gently as a sardonic smile adorned his lips.

_They make a pretty good team. Since their weakness are supported by each other strength._

(Kind of reminded him of his old team. Where his sky was still alive. Still _breathing, smiling, laughing, running, jumping,__**unmistakably**__**alive**_)

"Kirin-san? What's wrong?"

He tensed slightly at the brunet expression-_concerned, curiosity_, _fear?-_ and forced himself to relax.

(_Not him. He's not him. Not him. Not him. Not him Not him Not him Not him Not him. Not his sky, no matter how their expressions are so alike._)

He forced a cheeky grin at him. "What~ For Tsunayoshi-Kun to be so concern, if I didn't know better, I would have thought that you got a crush on me?"

The brunet spluttered unintelligent words and he shook his head violently while Yamamoto laughed cheerily with Gokudera muttering darkly about pineapples and levelling a scowl at him.

Grinning, he waved a hand languidly before exiting the roof, he had just stepped in five minutes ago, using the need to go to the washroom as an excuse.

(Well, it isn't exactly a lie.)

He raked a hand through his crimson locks and heaved a sigh when he stared at his reflection in the bathroom.

A boy with crimson locks that seems to burn in the light coupled with dark brown eyes stared back at him.

"Ciaosuu! What brought you here, Kirin?"

The boy offered a placid smile and bow slightly. "Reborn-San, master Fon mentioned that you've requested for backup in Namimori."

"I see. I was expecting Fon to send someone else but never would I have thought that you would be coming." Reborn lips twisted into a smirk while observing the boy whose expression remained the same.

"The pleasure is all mine."

"Now that you're here, the Varia wouldn't know what hit them."Reborn remarked nonchantly, but there was an undertone of glee as he tilt his fedora down.

Kirin inclined his head, his expression blank. "I'm honored."

He bowed and straightened again, only to exit the bathroom when Reborn slipped into his secret passageway after 5 minutes of silent stare.

The boy looked out of the window passively as he stood in the hallway, his eyes clouded with thoughts, only to surface out when the bell rang.

Slipping on mask number three outside, sheepish grin, he took a deep breath before entering the classroom silently.

He pushed those thoughts that pounded in his head loudly (_SkySkySky, its Sky and Tempest and Ame._) to the back of his mind when he saw the three entering the room together and slipped into his seat.

Time to do his job.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks to everyone who've followed, fav and reviewed:)

* * *

Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart."  
― Haruki Murakami

* * *

_Burning red hair._

_Dark orbs that seem to represent darkness itself._

_An enigma._

(Something just doesn't seem to add up)

Dangerous.

All the brunet could register was the fact that the mysterious guy that enrolled in their class was dangerous.

The redhead has a kind of deadly grace, comfortable in his own power that was conveyed in the way he carried himself. (But the brunet just couldn't put a finger to it. His intuition blares loudly _awayawaystayaway_ but he couldn't find a reason for it. Kirin just seems harmless. And maybe a little lonely.)

So when Yamamoto decided to invite the new guy to lunch, Tsuna pushes away the pounding in his head that screams _dangerdangerdanger!_ and agrees, while tagging along to invite the redhead.

"Yo, want to eat lunch with us, Kirin?"

He could see Kirin being jolted out of his thoughts, a flicker of shock flash through his eyes before it vanished.

The brunet can't help but frowned at the mask Kirin has slipped on.

"Eh?"

The brunet blinked his eyes in apprehension, unsure how to react when Kirin was staring at him in confusion. He fidgets minutely and opened his mouth to respond, ignoring a flash of black (_Reborn?_) outside the window.

"A-Ah, it's alright if you don't want to."

Gokudera cuts in at this time and the brunet could see Kirin placing a placid smile on his lips while his eyes remain -curiously-… cold.

"I would love to join you… Just that you see, I didn't bring lunch and break would probably be over by the time I manage to buy any food from the canteen."

(Another mask.)

Tsuna couldn't help but feel like kicking himself when he saw the redhead slipped on another mask, creating another expression to fit the situation. He couldn't help but feel that the three of them was responsible for it.

(_Our fault…_)

(_Of course it is._)

"So you don't have food?"

"I guess you can put it that way. But I'm sure I'll enjoy the presence of the three of you during the break."

Beaming a smile back at the redhead, the brunet could only hope that his smiles will become much more real.

"Well, let's go!"

x.X.x

"Kirin-San? Kirin-San?"

"TEME! HOW DARE YOU IGNORE JYUUDAIMEI!"

The redhead slips on another mask.

The voice in the brunet's head taunts smugly (_Your fault!_).

"Sorry. I got slightly distracted. What were you saying?"

"A-Ah. We've reached the roof."

"Ahahaha, you're pretty funny!"

The brunet could feel the redhead stopped as they entered the roof and a piercing gaze turned on them and disappeared in a heartbeat before the brunet could confirm his suspicions that it was from Kirin.

"Kirin-San?"

Tsuna winced when he saw a sliver of hurtpainsadness thread through the dark orbs before being tucked away carefully and hidden under layers and layers of masks.

"Sorry," Kirin rubbed the back of his head sheepishly (_Fake!_) and let his lips curved slightly, "I need to go to the washroom..."

"Sure! We'll be waiting!"

"Che."

Tsuna shot a smile at the redhead. "Okay."

x.X.x

A figure slipped unseen over the wall surrounding the mansion, passing by the lax guards placed at the entrance. Red hair tied neatly in a low ponytail, the black-clad man quickly sped into the interior of the place, pausing only long enough to avoid setting off traps in the Varia mansion.

He glanced around, quietly slipping into the study room and paused to listen for any noise or movement. Kirin adjusted his white fox mask that was painted with the red and he moved.

He moved like a predator and silently as he gently rummages through the documents that is stacked neatly into a pile. His eyes scanned over the documents, committing everything to memory before putting it back.

The redhead tilt his head to the side, his hair fluttering from the wind cause by the huge force that swing the sword, missing his head by several centimeters.

"VOI! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!"

Kirin cocked his head slightly and adjusted his mask while Squalo narrowed his eyes at Kirin's appearance.

And everything clicked into place.

"Voi, why is the famous Blaze here."

The two continue to stare at each other, tension strumming their blood in a glorious symphony.

Fast as a striking cobra, Kirin's hand shot forward, only missing by several inches before being able to crush the shark's windpipe as he lunges backwards and swing his sword to cut the redhead down.

In the same movement, Kirin twisted away, rotating on one foot as his other leg came up and lashed out at the swordsman before being blocked by the sword and was pushed back.

A dash forward, maddening blood-lust pounding through his veins, and a harsh blow against the knees should have been enough to disable him. What Squalo doesn't expect is the smooth back-step that allows him to barely avoid the swinging metal, followed by a duck of the head when he instinctively swipes at him. None of his attacks meet their mark, and Kirin elegantly dances away.

"VOIIII! DON'T RUN AWAY AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN!"

Kirin glanced back, his eyes glisten darkly with mirth that threads across in and was gone in a blink of an eye.

"What makes you think that I'm a man?"

A flash of crimson and the man was gone as he leaped out of the window. That hair is a weakness, Squalo thinks after he lost sight of the man, staring across the mansion grounds where Kirin once raced across with his crimson ponytail whipping around wildly in the wind.

The shark clicked his tongue in annoyance.

_That man is Varia Quality._

x.X.x

"Reborn-San."

"Information?"

Kirin nodded his head slightly and passed a folder that contains Varia tabs on the Vongola.

In a banner of red under the waxing white moon, Kirin was gone after the folder touched the chubby hands of the hitman.

x.X.x

**Bang!**

"What did you say, shark trash?!"

"Muu, why did you let him slip away."

"Ushishishishishi, the shark lost to Blaze? Didn't you say that you're the best swordsman?"

"Don't worry boss! I'll kill him for you!"

"VOIIIIIIIII! I DID NOT LOSE- YOU SHITTY BOSS! "

Wine dripped over silver locks as the Varia leader glared vehemently at him.

_They are going to obliterate the fox trash._

x.X.x

With a heavy sigh, Kirin tossed his mask on the coffee table. Not bothering to change out of his black outfit or make a trip to the bedroom, the redhead simply dropped onto the couch, throwing an arm over his eyes. A short nap should be alright. If he was lucky, those weird dreams would leave him alone for a little while.

x.X.x

"The roof is out of bounds to students. Go back to class."

Kirin blinked his eyes after stealing a last glance at the sky.

_Nuvolo?_

The redhead shook his head slightly and squinted his eyes to focus on the prefect that stood in front of him, instead of the platinum blond that seems to shadow over the raven hair boy every time.

"Herbivore," Hibari started again, glaring at Kirin to express his annoyance. The man had a faint frown creasing his brow but didn't respond otherwise. "Go back to class."

The redhead sighed, "But the teacher ordered me to get out of class."

"Roof is out of bounds to students."

Talking directly to the redhead seemed to finally gain his attention and the prefect soon found himself on the receiving end of a pair of scrutinizing gaze. He stiffened at the flash of grief that surfaced briefly, but when he blinked, the redhead looked as impassive as ever and Hibari's frown deepened.

"I'll bite you to death for breaking school rules."

Kirin ran a hand through his ponytail, tugging at the ends in frustration. "No."

Hibari eyes narrowed dangerously as anger roared in his chest.

The moment the skylark whipped out his Tonfas, the redhead was gone and he could see his deep crimson hair as he slips through the Sakura trees planted in school and vanished.

And Kirin ran as memories flashed across his eyes.

He ran and ran and ran, his heart urging _faster! Faster! Faster!_, but he can't outrun the memories or the hollow, aching emptiness inside of him.

_Those people (SkyTempestaAmeNuvolo don'tdon'tdon'tcannotwillnotforget!) that have slipped into his heart in his dreams was gone._

_Gone, gone, gone._

They are all gone and only Kirin is left.

x.X.x

His dark orbs were bright and empty and his smiles were nothing. They were too bright, too blank, too full of emptiness. Kirin offered kind words like a philanthropist, and they meant just as much and just as little. Everyone thought he was sweet and gentle and kind, but Tsuna had different thoughts.

Kirin, Tsuna thinks, wanted to die.

It's peaceful. A waxing moon floats overhead and the stars are bright, the breeze warm but not humid or overwhelmingly hot.

The brunet continues to entertain those thoughts as time ticked pass. It didn't feel right, to leave Kirin to shoulder his loads alone.

He is a friend after all.

_Maybe I should ask the other two about it…_

x.X.x

"Yo! Want to join us after school? We are going to the arcade."

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING BASEBALL FREAK?! WHY ARE YOU INVITING PEOPLE WITHOUT JYUUDAIMEI PERMISSION!"

"A-Ah, Gokudera-Kun, I was the one who wanted to invite Kirin-San…"

"As you wish, Jyuudaimei! Che! Be grateful Jyuudaimei is bringing you along!"

"Hayato! Where's Reborn?!"

"S-Sister…ack…"

The bomber clutched his stomach as his face paled and he collapsed on the floor.

"Gokudera-Kun!"

"Ahahahaha!"

Tsuna hurried over to the bomber, checking him over for any other injuries before slinging the bomber's arm over his shoulder, Yamamoto on the other side.

x.X.x

"W-where…" Kirin shot Gokudera a placid smile.

"Nurse's office."

The bomber blinked before turning his head from side to side, trying to see if Bianchi was anywhere near. "Where's Jyuudaimei?"

"Tsuna and Yamamoto are with Reborn." Gokudera nodded his head and the two fell into silence.

"That woman… She's your sister?" Gokudera narrowed his eyes as Kirin broke the silence turned his back on the bomber, staring out of the window at the setting sun.

"Che. So what if she's my sister. Wrong. It's _half-sister._"

"You hate her." The redhead asked plainly and continues to stare at the scenery while Gokudera turned his back against him and lay on his side.

He spat out darkly. "Of course."

"My parents died when I was a baby," Kirin didn't look at him, simply staring ahead with the glow of the sunset reflecting against the dark orbs, turning them to a golden hue. "And I never had the opportunity to say goodbye to the parent figures in my life." The dark orbs glimmers under the sunset glow turned and met Gokudera's own head-on. "I think that if I ever had any family, even if I got into a huge argument with them, I'd still want to do everything I could to make up with them."

Gokudera couldn't even blink and froze as a deep, grieving sorrow flashed across the redhead's face for a second before his face shuttered close, leaving a passive expression behind. "Because you never know when that chance will be taken away. Then you'll be left with nothing but _regrets_, and I think that's the saddest thing of all; to know what you could've had,_ should've done_, but with no way to fix it."

Gokudera continues to stare as Kirin turns away.

"There are things, once lost, will never come back and _nothing,_ is worse than regret."


	3. Chapter 3

Some memories never fades

-Unknown

* * *

_._

_._

"_Kirin! Kirin!"_

_A raven hair man jogs lightly to catch up to the redhead who had his hair braided and hanging down to his waist._

_The redhead inclined his head in confusion._

"_Takeshi, where- Kirin?!" A brunet exclaimed in surprise before a warm smile draped over his face and rushed over, slightly behind the rain guardian._

_The man arched an eyebrow at the sight of both, clenching his jaw and ducking his gaze when he saw his parent figures in them._

_(SkySkySkyAmeAmeAme)_

"_Kirin," relief flooded those warm chocolate orbs, "Where have you been?! What happened?! Why did you disappear three years ago?!"_

"_Yeah! You have no idea how worried we were! Tsuna, even Gokudera was out there, searching for you."_

_Kirin took a step back, confusion in his features when Yamamoto tried to sling an arm over his shoulder._

"_Tsuna? Gokudera?"_

"_What's wrong Kirin? Are you feeling unwell?" Tsuna looked over the redhead frantically, hovering anxiously beside him while the raven man laughed loudly._

"_Yeah, Tsuna and Gokudera. Of course, we were all out there looking for you."_

_Kirin froze, flinching minutely in surprise when Yamamoto's arm brushed against his and Tsuna had almost frowned when the redhead glanced over at him with something akin to uncertainty._

_Kirin took another step back, his hand flew to his trusty dagger that had golden dragons decorated over the entire black ancient weapon and grip it tightly._

"_Sorry. I think you mistook me for someone."_

"_Eh?"_

"_You're joking, right? You know that we'll never mistake someone else for you, Kirin." The rain guardian looked at him with a somber look in his eyes._

"_Takeshi is right. You're too precious for us to mistake someone else for you."_

"…"

"_Kirin?"_

"…_I…don't remember…"_

_The two glanced at each other._

"_What?"_

"_I don't remember anyone from the past..."_

_._

_._

* * *

"Oi Kirin, where do you think you're sneaking off to?"

A small boy looked up, the wind gently weaved through his crimson locks. He wrung his hands in distress, his eyes cast down, peeking at the man with flaming tattoos before ducking his gaze down quickly.

"I…I…"

The man arched an eyebrow, noting the distress of the little boy. His lips quirked slightly before heaving a sigh.

He pulled out a cigarette and light it up when it was in his mouth. The man inhales and exhales gently, smoke whirling and swirling.

Kirin steals another glance at him before scrunching his eyes shut. He didn't want to think. He doesn't want to know what's going through G's head now.

_What if…_

_I…_

_I'm going to get abandon._

_I'm going to get abandon._

_He'll hate me._

_No one likes a kid that's always trying to sneak away._

_I'm going to be thrown away._

A long moment of silence resounded around them, broken only by the soft whistle of the wind.

_I'm going to be thrown away._

"Oi Kid, didn't you remember what I said?" Kirin peer up, only for his head to be squashed down slightly by a large hand on his head, ruffling his head gently.

"You're doing it again. Don't think too much, your brain doesn't have the capacity to do it."

Kirin scowled, ignoring the warm, tingly feeling fluttering inside his heart, making him so giddy when G smiles down warmly at him.

"I'm not stupid!"

G arched an eyebrow, mirth dancing through his eyes.

"Right."

"Hey!"

G turns and walks away before pausing slightly, tilting his head at Kirin who stood at the same spot.

"Oi, what are you standing there for, let's go home."

_ ..._

_They are not going to throw me away?_

_Home…_

_I have a home._

The boy nodded his head sharply, ignoring the prickling of his eyes as he tries to draw the rest of his composure around his body like a clock, racing after the man.

_Home._

_Not a house._

_But, a home._

_Will I be able to return it?_

_This joy…_

_How do I return this joy?_

_To these important people?_

x.X.x

Kirin blinked his eyes blearily as he tries to clear his mind that was still foggy from sleep, the dream he had about the man with flaming tattoos still dancing in his mind.

He gave a lazy stretch and snuggled deeper into his warm covers, his dark orbs half lidded as he observed the clock.

Tick, Tock, Tick.

10 AM.

Tick, Tock, Tick.

His hand lashed out and grabbed his phone.

Tuesday.

10 AM.

Tick, Tock, Tick.

_Shit._

x.X.x

Mukuro can see deep crimson hair as a boy slips through the obstacles and make his way to his room.

It was a surprise.

A miscalculation to have drawn the famous Blaze over when the Decimo was fighting with Birds.

But all he can do is to push forward. There are many, after all, overestimating their own ability.

"Kufufu, what fortune do I have to have the famous Blaze visiting my humble abode?"

Kirin rolls his eyes behind his mask, feeling a sudden surge of nostalgic fondness for this weird person that he had just met.

This guy felt like Daemon with his melon hair and whatnot. Even down to the laughter, the similarities were striking.

Reborn had told him to let Tsuna handle the leader that was responsible for the incidents. But somehow, Kirin can't help but want to meddle. So after several hours of banter, they settle with Kirin going as his mafia identity to gather information and in a way, help Tsuna to block Mukuro from doing any tricks while the Decimo deal with his obstacles one by one.

"Kufufu, are you ignoring me?" knifes rained down and Kirin quickly jumped out of the way, gliding away from the barrage of attacks that soon followed after.

His red crimson tied in a low ponytail flutter around his face, a banner of red. As long as that hair is, it's practically an open invitation for an enemy to grab it, use it to bring him to his knees.

Mukuro smirk.

He found a weakness.

But then he realized the redhead moves like a predator as he launches illusions after illusions, and Kirin's movements are as smooth as flowing water while he tried in a futile attempt to go after his hair. It's tricky with Kirin constantly changing direction and utilizing a good many aerial leaps and twists. His fight is a dance, a ballet. Weaving through every obstacle with easy grace until he was right in front of Mukuro, his eyes glinting dangerously from the slits of the fox mask.

And the illusionist is sure that no one ever gets a single step closer to the boy than he allows.

x.X.x

Kirin watched silently, his eyes widened as a flame burst into life on Tsuna's forehead, amber bleeds into his honey colored orbs as orange flame burns bright and pure on Tsuna's black gloves.

_Sky?_

_No…_

Kirn squeezed his eyes shut, his forehead leaned heavily against his palm as he took in a shaky breath, his mask held limply in other hand that hangs at his side.

No. _Sky is dead._

_He is dead._

_After all, so much time has passed._

_Even if he himself travelled outside time._

Kirin staggers out if the room, ignoring the gaze from a pair of onyx orbs that seems to burn holes in his back.

He drags his hands through his hair, trying not to shake, and red clings to his fingers. Kirin runs out of the entrance, red hair whipping behind him that seems to catch the light of a rising sun and burn.

_Burn, burn, burn like how his heart is._

_Burning in painpainpain from memories._

How he wish out of all the things he had forgotten, those can be erased.

Wipe out of his mind because the pain rips his heart from within into shreds.

_(Yet a voice sings gleefully in the back of his head, "you'll nevercannot forget!")_

x.X.x

Kirin's frowned deepen.

"Mafia land?"

"Yeah… Since we're all going, I was wondering if you would like to join us?"

"Maa… You're going with your family, right?" Tsuna met his gaze, his eyes flashed with an odd glint.

"… Yes?"

"Won't it be inconvenient for me to join you then?"

Tsuna fell silent, hands frozen in motion before peering up at the redhead.

"You're part of my family you know?"

Kirin froze, flinching minutely in surprise. He turns away, ignoring the lump stuck in his throat as it burns.

"Thanks for the offer,"Kirin paused and scrunched his eyes tightly to prevent any tears from leaking through, "I…I will be visiting a relative of mine during the holidays…"

"A-Ah…I see…"

"Don't worry about me," Kirin turns and gave Tsuna a smile that he've always used before his vision blurred and he saw a man with blonde hair and blue eyes dying with a smile.

Kirin chocked back a sob before he hurried away from the brunet only to pause at the door.

"Kirin?"

"Enjoy your trip. And… stay safe."

Tsuna frown and his features were filled with confusion.

_Stay safe? What did he mean by that?_

"Oi Dame-Tsuna! What are you spacing out for?"

"HIEEEE REBORN!"


End file.
